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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073826">A Home for the Rest of Forever</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saraste/pseuds/Saraste'>Saraste</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>FICMAS 2020 [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Ficmas, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Magic, Moving</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:54:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073826</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saraste/pseuds/Saraste</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Draco finally have their very first home, just in time for Christmas, no less. That should be more than enough... right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>FICMAS 2020 [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034025</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Home for the Rest of Forever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: new house for Christmas by    on twitter.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>DRARRY</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A brand-new home just in time for Christmas was just the thing, the very best present either could have gifted the other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A house, <em>a home</em>, one that was just theirs, with no old memories attached to it, no ghosts lurking in the corners, or proverbial or literal (because who really knew, these post-war days) skeletons in the cupboards, what luxury it would be. All the memories that they made here would be theirs and theirs alone, new and bright, future beckoning to them in this house with promise both hadn’t dared dream of. And the past wouldn't be present here like it would have been anywhere else, in all those places that they had once called <em>home</em>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This was their home, and they would be happy here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Happiness every moment of every day wasn't a guarantee, of course, but they would strive to have more happy memories than not, and this first Christmas, it would be theirs. They would of course visit where they were expected, but they would come home at the end of the day, curling together in their own bed and making their own traditions, and would wake to Christmas in their own bed of their first proper bedroom together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'It feels strange to know I'll be living in a house no relative of mine never lived in,' Draco said, as they stood in the entryway, surrounded by boxes, their lives, mostly Harry’s, packed into cardboard. He sounded a little wistful, if not regretful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'Well, seeing as I'm your <em>husband</em> I say that's already sorted, don't you think?' Harry replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Draco reached for him and Harry met him halfway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was still a new thing, being husbands, and their only regret was that they hadn't spent their first night as spouses here under this roof, but they still had firsts to spare and for a long while, as well, unless their combined imaginations ran out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The way Draco brought Harry's wrist, circled with the magical mark he'd left there, and kissed that pattern of crisscrossing lines, the palest silver lines interwoven with gold, with such reverence and intimacy that it felt more private than having Draco’s hand down his trousers would have felt. They had rings, of course, but had really committed in the old ways, letting each other's magic spill out and seek, to bind them together more permanently than any gold or silver rings ever could have. There was no way out, but through death or great suffering for the rest of their days, a half-life with the broken strands of promise forever reaching out for that which had been lost.</p>
<p>It was a good thing neither was thinking about severing anything, not even on their worst days, when past came rushing and all the hurt, they had dealt was again brought to the surface, right until they reminded each other that they had learned from those mistakes and had forgiven and agreed to move past it, were in love, committed, bound by magic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'Mine,' Draco said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That single word stirred deep desires within Harry and he knew that he would do anything for this man beside him and could never let him go, even if he asked. He hoped Draco d never ask, because he was hopelessly lost on him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'You're,' was the refrain, the validation of Draco's affirmation. Harry mirrored him, bringing his wrist to his lips and kissing the marks his magic had carved into skin. 'Mine,' he declared and shivered as he felt Draco's delight through their bond.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That, the feeling of echoes of each other's emotions, was a thing still growing to its full force, and something that they would get to experience in this house, within these walls, in this place that was now <em>home</em>, even when they had already found home in each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'Yours,' Draco affirmed and kissed him on the lips for good measure, long and deep and slow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The house settled around them, reaching out as a new friend, an ally, a protector, and they welcomed it, touching their hands to the wall, neither consciously doing so, but not resisting either.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Ours</em> was not said aloud, but rang in the air, in their bones, louder than anything, and the walls seemed to stretch and settle, rooms moulding themselves after the images in their minds, and then, as they looked around, the house, <em>their house</em>, was still.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their hands had fallen down as the house shifted and they stood, astonished, in the middle of the entryway, now changed, possibly forever in flux as long as they were welcome within these walls they called home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Draco's eyes were round. His hand reached for a wall but did not touch, like he didn’t quite dare. He didn't need to, the house hummed, alive, around them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'This wasn't supposed to be a wizarding house,' Draco sounded awed, reverent, a little like he still couldn’t believe the truth of it, that they had been so lucky.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'Well, it is <em>now</em>, if not before.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Draco finally reached, touching the wall. He sighed with a little shudder and Harry felt the echo of his sadness. 'No. It was once. long ago. And then it forgot.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Harry squeezed the hand still in his. 'And we'll take good care of it now. The best if care. Won’t we?'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His husband's smile was blinding. 'That we will. Shall we repair to our bedchamber now, husband mine?'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Harry didn't need to know Draco's emotions through some strange magical link to make out what he was thinking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'Yes.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'You know what this means? ‘Draco said, after, when they were lying in a sated heap in a bed that they hadn't brought with them, but which the house had provided, in a bedroom they'd never seen, but which would be taken away from them from their cold dead hands, on crisp linen sheets and a big lovely down quilt in shades of green.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Harry sighed beside him, settling more securely into the crook of Draco's arm, against his side. 'That we have a very nice house that'll be our home for the rest of forever? That we can never move out? Not that I'd <em>ever</em> want to, of course.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Draco was staring up at the fourposter's canopy where shadows lurked, but in a friendly sort of way, could just imagine closing the curtains around them on a chilly night. He was sure that Harry was casting furtive glances at the walls right about now. It really <em>was </em>a nice house, even providing them with a bedside drawer full of… materials. The slide of their bodies against one another had never been quite so slick and they had properly taken ownership of their bedroom and no mistake.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He sighed, realizing that Harry had missed the point.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'That as well, but it also means we'll have to throw a Christmas party to have any hope of getting out of the house and get to the Burrow Christmas Dinner.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>'Oh.'</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>'So, seeing as this is the 19th, we best get to work yesterday.'</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Harry groaned.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My ideas about magical wizarding houses are heavily influenced by Astolat's "House Proud."</p></blockquote></div></div>
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